


Please stop petting the test subjects

by CaptainAwesome242



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Enterprise, Episode: s02e13 The Trouble With Tribbles, Five Year Mission, Gen, Illogical, Poor Spock, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Science, Science Experiments, Starship Enterprise (Star Trek), Tribbles (Star Trek), Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-12 00:42:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7913737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainAwesome242/pseuds/CaptainAwesome242
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spock attempts to work in peace.</p><p>His subordinates have other ideas...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Please stop petting the test subjects

Spock was patient.

He was a Vulcan; it was illogical to become irritated and flustered over anything as it clouded one’s sense of judgement and left them incapable of making a rational decision. However, it was increasingly difficult to proceed with his experiments with several groups of crewmen crowding his table; and he found his patience waning.

The Enterprise had just discovered a new alien species, apparently called Tribbles, and Spock was attempting to discover more information about the small and vastly reproducing creatures. This was not helped by the fact that, due to their small and furry appearance, many crewmembers had come to take a look and fawn over the Tribbles.

 “Please stop petting the test subjects,” he asked them, for what was the third time in the past 7.34 minutes.

“Aw, but Mr Spock, look how cute they are!” Ensign Peters, one of his female subordinates, cooed as she picked one up to stroke it.

“ _Cute_ is a subjective opinion, Ensign, and one I do not share,” He informed her, reaching across to retrieve the Tribble from her and return it to the pen.

“They’re so fluffy! I want one!” another female, Lieutenant Wilson, exclaimed as she too picked up one of the creatures.

“The Tribbles are not to leave this room, Lieutenant. They are specimens, not pets.”

Looking at them, the Vulcan could not understand why anyone would want to keep one. They would not keep good company, and all they seemed to do was eat and reproduce. The one thing he could perceivably grant in their favour was that they were apparently enjoyable for humans to stroke, as they satisfied a human urge to maintain contact with soft items and animals.

“But there are so many, surely one could... go missing,” Lieutenant Wilson tried to persuade the First Officer, moving the Tribble as if to hide it behind her back.

Spock was slightly alarmed at the prospect of having to defend these fluffy creatures from attempted kidnapping by some of his more senior crewmembers.

“Need I remind you of the regulations you would be breaking in doing so: stealing a specimen before all of its threats have been established, the theft itself, skewing experiment data, risking—”

“—Alright, alright, I get it! I wasn’t going to do it anyway,” she said, rolling her eyes as she tossed the Tribble back into the pen with a huff. She turned on her heel and left the room, the other females shooting glares at Spock before following suit.

Spock was gratefully left to complete his experiments alone, and to process the illogicality of human females.


End file.
